Flottille 17F
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| Flottille 17F | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Active | 17 April 1958[1] - 1962 10 January 1964 -present |
| Country | France |
| Branch | French Naval Aviation |
| Garrison/HQ | Landivisiau Naval Air Base |
| Aircraft flown | |
| Fighter | Dassault Rafale M F3-R |
Flottille 17F is a squadron of French Naval Aviation which currently flies the Dassault Rafale M from Landivisiau Naval Air Base. It was formed during April 1958 at Hyeres Naval Air Base and flew the Vought F4U-7 Corsair for training purposes.
Flottille 17F is nicknamed "La glorieuse". The symbol of the 17F flotilla is the osprey.
History
[edit]It quickly proved itself in the Algerian theater of operations and Tunisia.
The squadron was dissolved in 1962, but later reformed on 10 January 1964 using the Dassault Etendard IV M with the Super Etendard entering service on 5 September 1980, 17F was the first flotilla to use the Super Étendard Modernisé.
The Super Etendard aircraft composing the Flottille 17F regularly embarked aboard the French nuclear aircraft-carrier Charles de Gaulle.
Flottille 17F was involved in many conflicts such as:
- Mission Olifant in 1983 in Lebanon;
- Mission Prometheus for 14 months in the Gulf of Oman;
- Mission Capselle off the coast of Lebanon in August 1989;
- Opération Daguet during the Gulf War.
- Former Yugoslavia aboard Clemenceau and Foch between 1993 and 1996
- Afghanistan (Mission Héraclès, Operation Agapanthe, Operation Anaconda) aboard Charles de Gaulle from 2001 from the Indian Ocean
- Libya (Opération Harmattan) aboard Charles de Gaulle during 2011.
Flotilla 17F was the last French unit to use the Super Etendard Modernisé aircraft which was retired on 12 July 2016.[2]
Present day
[edit]The unit currently flies the Dassault Rafale M F3-R.[3]
Aircraft operated
[edit]- Vought F4U Corsair – April 1958 to April 1962
- Dassault Étendard IVM – June 1964 to June 1980
- Dassault-Breguet Super Étendard – September 1980 to July 2016
- Dassault Rafale – September 2016 to date
References
[edit]- ^ "Flottille 17F". Archived from the original on 5 September 2008. Retrieved 5 September 2008.
- ^ AirForces Monthly. Stamford, Lincolnshire, England: Key Publishing Ltd. November 2016. p. 12.
- ^ AirForces Monthly. Stamford, Lincolnshire, England: Key Publishing Ltd. October 2022. p. 64.